BALTIMORE, Oct. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Comcast today
hosted a special event at the Towanda Community Center in
Baltimore to launch Maryland's first Internet Essentials Learning
Zone and kick off the fifth year of Internet Essentials, the
nation's largest and most comprehensive high-speed Internet
adoption program.
Since 2011, Internet Essentials has connected more than 500,000
families, or about 2 million low-income Americans, to the power of
the Internet at home, including more than 12,000 families, or about
48,000 low-income residents, in Maryland. For the third time in four
years, Comcast increased the speed of the program's Internet
service, doubling it to up to 10 Mbps downstream. In
addition, the service now offers free Wi-Fi routers enabling
customers to connect multiple devices simultaneously.
The Internet Essentials Learning Zone is a network of partners
working together to create a continuum of connectivity that begins
online in classrooms, then extends to community centers, computer
labs, and after-school programs and finally ends at home.
Partnering with the City of Baltimore, the Family League of
Baltimore, and additional organizations, Comcast is providing free
Wi-Fi to 16 community centers, the ability to connect to the
Internet at home through Internet Essentials, and access to digital
literacy programs and training to help close the digital divide in
the City.
"We have made significant progress toward closing the digital
divide for low-income parents and children across the country and
here in Baltimore," said
David L. Cohen, Comcast Corporation
Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer.
"Making high-speed Internet available across the community
through the Learning Zone, combined with the power of the Internet
at home through Internet Essentials, ensures more families will
have even easier access to the life-changing educational,
employment, healthcare, communication, and entertainment resources
available online."
Comcast, joined by Baltimore
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake,
Baltimore City Public Schools CEO
Dr. Gregory Thornton, Family League
of Baltimore Senior Director of Initiatives Julia Baez, Park Heights Renaissance Executive
Director Cheo Hurley, Creative City
Charter School Principal Traci Johnson
Mathena, and other local officials and civic and community
leaders, introduced the Learning Zone and announced the latest
Internet Essentials milestones and enhancements.
"I am grateful to Comcast for the opportunity being provided to
Baltimore's families through this
partnership," said Mayor Rawlings-Blake. "Collaborations like
this one between corporate citizens, the community, and the City
are crucial to closing the digital divide and securing the success
of our city's digital future."
As part of the event, Comcast awarded 35 computers and six
months of complimentary Internet service through Internet
Essentials to 35 elementary students attending the event from
Creative City Charter School. The company also announced
$75,000 in digital literacy grants to
the Family League of Baltimore and
the 12 participating community organizations in 16 community center
locations:
- Baltimore City Foundation – Community Action Partnership
Centers
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore – Brooklyn
O'Malley and O'Donnell Heights
- CASA de Maryland Baltimore Welcome Center
- Delta Lambda Foundation Outreach Center
- Education Based Latino Outreach
- Liberty Rec and Tech Center
- My Brother's Keeper
- St. Francis Neighborhood
Center
- The 29th Street Community Center
- Towanda Community Center
- Union Baptist-Harvey Johnson Head
Start
- Village Learning Place
"We can't thank Comcast enough for its support of the Towanda
Community Center and the commitment to provide technology and
digital literacy education to ensure families within the Park
Heights neighborhoods are academically and economically
successful," Hurley said of the partnership with the company.
In the Baltimore area, Comcast
is working with a growing network of community-based organizations,
including Associated Black Charities, Big Brothers Big Sisters of
the Greater Chesapeake, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan
Baltimore, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Greater Baltimore Urban
League, Living Classrooms, Park Heights Renaissance, United Way of
Central Maryland, and more, to
spread the word about Internet Essentials and provide digital
literacy training. Nearly 75 organizations across the state
of Maryland have partnered with
Comcast on this initiative.
About Internet Essentials
Internet Essentials from Comcast is the nation's largest and
most comprehensive high-speed Internet adoption program. It
provides low-cost high-speed Internet service for $9.95 a month plus tax; the option to purchase an
Internet-ready computer for under $150 and multiple options to access free digital
literacy training in print, online and in-person. Eligible
families must have at least one child eligible to participate in
the National School Lunch Program, including public, parochial,
private and homeschooled students.
For more information or to apply for the program, visit
www.InternetEssentials.com or call 1-855-846-8376 for English or
1-855-765-6995 for Spanish.
About Comcast Corporation:
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and
technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and
NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is one of the nation's largest
video, high-speed Internet and phone providers to residential
customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services
to businesses. NBCUniversal operates news, entertainment and
sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks,
television production operations, television station groups,
Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit
www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comcast-kicks-off-year-five-of-high-speed-internet-adoption-program-with-launch-of-first-internet-essentials-learning-zone-in-maryland-300167661.html
SOURCE Comcast Cable